By Jamesetta D. Williams
Monrovia-Deputy Information Minister for Press and Public Affairs Daniel Sando has defended the Government of Liberia’s renegotiated agreement with Global Tracking and Maritime Solutions (GTMS), saying the deal increases the country’s revenue share and is expected to support national development.
Speaking Wednesday on Prime Morning Drive, Sando said the renegotiated agreement allows Liberia to receive 40 percent of the revenue generated under the arrangement, while GTMS receives 60 percent.
He described the agreement as an improvement over the original deal signed in 2018, which, according to the background information provided, allowed the Liberian government to receive between 2 and 3 percent of the revenue.
Sando said the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai renegotiated the agreement in 2025 to secure better benefits for Liberia and ensure that the country receives a greater share of the revenue generated through the Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) system.
According to him, the revised arrangement is intended to protect Liberia’s interests and increase the economic benefits the country receives from the agreement.
He rejected suggestions that the government entered into the deal to deceive Liberians, maintaining that the renegotiation process involved the National Legislature.
Sando said the legislature’s involvement was important in ensuring that the agreement reflected the country’s interests and would contribute positively to national development.
He argued that previous agreements did not provide sufficient benefits to Liberia and said the current arrangement represents a significant improvement in the government’s efforts to secure better terms from commercial agreements.
The Deputy Information Minister further maintained that the renegotiated deal would create opportunities for Liberia to increase public revenue and direct more resources toward development priorities.
Sando also disclosed that the government is renegotiating several other agreements as part of broader efforts to secure better terms for Liberia.
He expressed confidence that the ongoing negotiations would enable the country to receive a fairer share of the benefits from agreements with private companies.
According to Sando, the government expects these efforts to produce more favorable outcomes for Liberia over the next five years.
He said the administration’s approach is aimed at reviewing existing agreements, identifying areas where the country could receive greater benefits, and ensuring that future arrangements support national development.
The Cargo Tracking Note system is intended to monitor cargo entering Liberia and provide information relevant to the country’s import and port operations.
Under the original agreement signed in 2018 during the administration of former President George Manneh Weah, GTMS secured a 15-year concession with the National Port Authority to operate the system.
The original arrangement reportedly provided the Government of Liberia with a revenue share of between 2 and 3 percent.
However, the agreement was renegotiated in 2025 under President Boakai’s administration, increasing Liberia’s revenue share to 40 percent for the first five years and 45 percent thereafter, according to the background information provided.
The revised terms also reportedly introduced corporate and local tax requirements.
The agreement has drawn attention to questions about how Liberia negotiates commercial arrangements, protects public revenue, and ensures that private-sector partnerships provide meaningful benefits to the country.
Sando’s defense of the renegotiated deal comes as the government says it is working to improve the terms of existing agreements and increase the country’s share of revenue from commercial activities.
The actual financial benefits to Liberia will depend on the agreement’s implementation, the revenue generated through the CTN system, and compliance with the revised terms.
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